The present invention generally relates to anodes in electrochemical cells using strong alkaline solutions and/or seawater as electrolytes and more particularly to an aluminum alloy anode having high energy, high electrochemical potential and low gassing rates in these cells.
The majority of previous aluminum alloys contain, most importantly, fractional percentages of tin, gallium, mercury and magnesium. Graphical analysis of recent data led to the inventors predicting significant improvement to the desired properties of high potential and low gassing by producing an aluminum alloyed with only gallium for high potential and low gassing, and magnesium to control tensile modulus. The exclusion of tin as an alloying ingredient appears to raise the potential and lower the gassing rate as compared to similar alloys containing tin in the range of 0.05 to 0.34 percent.
Another prior alloy contains aluminum, mercury and various other elements. Mercury, although well known for its ability to raise the hydrogen overvoltage of other metals, is quite toxic under certain conditions. The U.S. Navy is spending large sums of money to eliminate the use of mercury in many batteries.